Gastric cancer, also called stomach cancer, is relatively uncommon in the U.S., although the incidence of cancer in the upper stomach is increasing, which may be attributed to an increase in obesity and GERD (gastroesphageal reflux disease).
The stomach is a muscular organ that plays an important role in digestion by turning food into liquid before it moves into the small intestine. It is divided into three parts: lower (pylorous), middle (body) and upper part (cardia). Gastric cancer most commonly develops first in the inner lining of the stomach wall, which contains glands that help digest food.
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